Tube bender



June 22, 1965 R. v. STRYBEL TUBE BENDER Filed May 21, 1962 .N IHHHHJI: r...

a zE fiz M Mara;

BY fg w,

90 bend so. as to reposition the TUTSE BENDER' Richard V. Strybel, Elk Grove Village, 121., assignor t Imperial-Eastman Corporatiorn'a corporation of Illinois Filed May 21, 1962, ScL'No. 196,102 7 Claims. (Ql. 72-459) w I This invention relates to;tubeibend ers and in particular to manually operable tube benders.

In one well-known form of manually operable, tube bender, a shoe element is pivotally connected to a mandrel to move along a peripheral groove in the mandrel and in so moving press a tube into the groove to efiect a desired bend therein. Conventionally, a first'handle is secured to the mandrel and a second handle is secured to the shoe, permitting the user, by suitable manipulation of the handles, to the between the shoe and the mandrel- In the starting'position, it is desirable to have the two handles extend generally perpendicular to each other to permit maximum effort to be exerted by the user. disadvantage of causing the handles to cross where the bend is continued beyond 90?. 'The present invention. comprehends an improved arrangement of the tube bender1 structure whereby the crossing of the handles is effectively eliminated. J

Thus, a principal object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved tube bender.

Another object of the invention isthe provision. of such a tube bender having new and improved means for associating the shoe with the mandrel to permit selective positioningof the shoe in tube bendingassociation with the mandrel with the shoe handle being disposed in either of two substantially perpendiculararrangements. Thus, 135

be repositioned upon the completion of a shoe handle in a direction away from the mandrel handle to permit a subsequent additional 90 bend in the tube without a crossing of the shoe and mandrel handles. v V

A further object of the invention is to provision of the shoe may effect the desired relative movement.

' This, however, has the tion of the tube T to be retain the tube against movement during the tube-bend:

' vided with a pivot such a tube bender wherein the shoe is connected to the,

mandrel by a link having an inner end pivotally carried by the mandrel, the link having an outer end provided with a first shoulder, and the shoe being provided with a pair of shoulders for selective engagement with the link shoulder for releasably retaining theshoe in either of two preselected positions.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following tion with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of 'a tube bender embodying the invention with the shoe illustrated in full lines as at the start of a tube bending operation and in dashed lines as upon completion of a 90 bend in the v tube;

FIG. 2 is a section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view the top of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the tubebender with the shoe shown in full lines as repositioned to commence an additional 90 bending operation in dot-dashed lines as during such repositioning, and in dashed lines as upon completion of a 180 bend.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the draw g, a tube bender generally designated 10 is shown to include a conventional mandrel 11 having a peripheral tube bending groove 12 extending annularly concentrically of an axis 13 through the center of the mandrel. A first handle 14 is secured to the mandrel as by screws 15 and a conventionalhook 16 is secured to of the tube bender looking from detailed description taken in connecto thelaxis l3 and: the shoulder figure to complete the awaits is. arranged in the conventional manner to engage a por bend in the tube bender and ing operation. The. tube bender further includes a bending .shoe 18 to which is secured a second handle shoe is connected to the mandrel by a link 2(lhaving an inner end 21 connected to the mandrel by a pivot 22 permitting the link in FIGS. 1 and 4. The outer end 23 of the link 20 is propost 24 extending through an elongated slot 25 in the shoe 18 to pivotally connect the shoe to the link. a

As indicated briefly above, the shoe 18..may be selectively retained on the link 20 in either of two generally perpendicularly related positions. To this end the link is provided with a projection 26 defining a shoulder 27. The projection extends from' the end 21 of the link. Shoe 18 is provided'with afirst tubeengagingsurface 28 defined by a rectilinear groove, and

ag second tube-engaging surface 29 defined by a second rectilinear groove perpendicularly intersecting the first groove 28. As best seen in FIG. 1, groove-28 extends generally parallel to the direction of elongation of'slot 25 and groove 29 extends perpendicular thereto.

As shown in FIG/l, the shoe 18 is provided with a pair of shoulders 30 and 31 for selective engagement with the shoulder 27 of the link 20 to retain the shoe selectively in the position of FIG-1 (full lines) and' the position; of FIG. 4 (full lines). More specifically, shoulder 30 is defined by a notch 32 in the portion of the shoe defining groove 29 and shoulder 31 is defined by a notch 33 in the portion of the shoe opposite the portion defining groove:

Ascan be seen from the dotted lineposition ofhandle 19 in" FIG. 1, further movement thereof in a clockwise direction about the axis 13 would tend to cause the handle 19 to cross the handle 14. To preclude this, the shoe is repositioned as shown in FIG. 4 so as to bring handle 1% back to a position wherein it extends substantially perpendicularly to the handle 14 permitting an additional bend to be formed in the tube T as shown in FIG. 4 without a crossing of the handles. The repositioning of the shoe is effected by simply pivoting the shoe from the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 to the position shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. the 'shoe on the link 26 toward the axis 13 until the post is received in the opposite end of the elongated slot 25 permitting the second shoulder 31 to engage 'the link shoulder 27. Handle 19 may then be manipulated to swing the shoe on link 29 from the full line position of FIG. 4 to the dashed line position at the bottom of the bend in the tube T.

The shoe may-be readilyreleas'ed from the tube at the90 position by simply pivoting the shoe in a counterclockwise direction about the spaced from the tube in the 180 position by pivoting the shoe slightly in a' counterclockwise direction to disengage .the shoulder 31 from the link shoulder 27 and permit the "shoe to be slid outwardly along the link 20 away from the gular so as to be received in the recesses in the two difierent tube-bending positions of the Patented June 22, 1965 19. The bending to sewing about theaxis 13 as shown link generally parallel faces toward the inner 4 and thensliding post 24 and may be readily.

shoe. The projection 26 V 1 V lay lbe-bending forces rran'gement permitting be made sturdy so'asto hold thershoe' against'the generated in the'bending operation. hus, tube bender'10 provides a strong maintenance-free facilitated selected positioning of ee shoe so that the user may effect 'a full180, bend v f the tube by manipulation of the two handles through the ame 790 quadrant, effectively eliminating the 'need'for J crossing of the handles at any time.

While'I have shown and described one embodiment of nay invention, it is to be understood thatit is capable If many modifications.

Changes, therefore,1in the =contructionvand arrangement may be made without departing v From :the spiritand scope of the invention as definedin 7 he appended claims. I

I claim:

- 1. In a tube benderhaving a mandrel provided with an axis, a peripheral tube-bending groove annularly,

concentric of said axis, an elongated handle secured to the means for retaining a tube in associationmandrel, and V with the mandrel groove, means for bending the tube into the groove comprisingia connector link having an inner end and an outer end; means connecting-the inner end of the link to said mandr'elto pivot, about 'sai'daxis;

engaging surface and a second tube-engaging surface extendingangularly to said first tube-engaging surface, and tube-engagingsurfaces' a bending shoe having a first tube havingethe same radiusflof curvature in a crosss section;

means connecting the shoe to said outer end ofthelink for pivoting about an axis on said link; a second shoulder on' said shoe engaging said first shoulder when saidshoe is pivoted on the link to a" first position wherein said first tube-engaging surface is juxtaposed to said mandrel groove; and a third shoulder on said shoe engaging said first shoulder when said 'shoe 'is pivoted on the link'to a secondposition wherein said second tube-engaging surface is juxtaposed to'said mandrel groove. J

2. The tube bender ofclairnl wherein said means connecting the shoe to the link comprises a post on one of said shoe and said link and an elongated groove on parallel to said mandrel axis; anrelongated handle secured to the shoe; a first shoulder 1 the other of said shoe and said'link slidably receiving said ost; H. o

3.1 The tube bender of claim 1 wherein said tube-en--.

engagingsurfaces are defined v grooves in the shoe and one of said shoulders is formed in the portion of the shoe'defining shoulder on saidshoe extending 'shoulder projects from the '7. The tube bender of claim 5 wherein said shoe is" provided with a recess adjacent said second shoulder to receive said first shoulder when said shoe is in said first 3 'position. i

gaging surfaces are defined intersecting rectilinearf grooves in the shoe; 7 I

4. The tube bender' of claim wherein" said tubeone of said grooves;

5. In a tube bender centric of said axis, an elongated handle secured to the mandrel, and means for retaining a tube in associationai' with the 'mandrelfgroove, means forbending the tube into a bending shoe having a first tube-engaging surface and a V I facing a second shoulder of said shoe extending parallel to said first tube-engaging surface, saidsecond shoulder engaging said first shoulder when said'shoe is link to the first position wherein said first tube-engagin'g anda third parallel to said second f tube-engaging-surface, said third shoulder engaging said first shoulder when said'shoe is pivoted on theflink to surface is juxtaposed to said mandrel groove;

a second'position whereinflsaid'second tube-engaging sur face is juxtaposed to said mandrel groove. A 6. The tubebender of claim'5 wherein 'said first link parallel to said axes.

References cited bythe Examinei-e UNITED STATES PATENTS J 9/ 39 Beehler et al.- 4/5 8 Klamm, 4/61 Franck.

WILLIAM FELDMAN Printqry Examiner.

by intersecting rectilinear 1 7 having a mandreleprovided with an axis, a; peripheral tube-bending groove annularly conpivot about said axis;'-

toward: said inner, end;

pivoted on the V 

1. IN A TUBE BENDER HAVING A MANDREL PROVIDED WITH AN AXIS, A PERPHERAL TUBE-BENDING GROOVE ANNULARLY CONCENTRIC OF SAID AXIS, AN ELONGATED HANDLE SECURED TO THE MANDREL, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING A TUBE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MANDREL GROOVE, MEANS FOR BENDING THE TUBE INTO THE GROOVE COMPRISING: A CONNECTOR LINK HAVING AN INNER END AND AN OUTER END; MEANS CONNECTING THE INNER END OF THE LINK TO SAID MANDREL TO PIVOT ABOUT SAID AXIS; A BENDING SHOE HAVING A FIRST TUBE ENGAGING SURFACE AND A SECOND TUBE-ENGAGING SURFACE EXTENDING ANGULARLY TO SAID FIRST TUBE-ENGAGING SURFACE, AND TUBE-ENGAGING SURFACES HAVING THE SAME RADIUS OF CURVATURE IN A CROSS SECTION; MEAND CONNECTING THE SHOE TO SAID OUTER END OF THE LINK FOR PIVOTING ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID MANDREL AXIS; AN ELONGATED HANDLE SECURED TO THE SHOE; A FIRST SHOULDER ON SAID LINK; A SECOND SHOULDER ON SAID SHOE ENGAGING SAID FIRST SHOULDER WHEN SAID SHOE IS PIVOTED ON THE LINK TO A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID FIRST TUBE-ENGAGING SURFACE IS JUXTAPOSED TO SAID MANDREL GROOVE; AND A THIRD SHOULDER ON SAID SHOE ENGAGING SAID FIRST SHOULDER WHEN SAID SHOE IS PIVOTED ON THE LINK TO A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID SECOND TUBE-ENGAGING SURFACE IS JUXTAPOSED WHEREIN SAID GROOVE. 